The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170 The Murder Of Thomas Becket, 1170 Printer Friendly Version >>> A sword's crushing blow extinguished the life of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, on a cold December evening as he struggled on the steps of his altar. The brutal event sent a tremor through Medieval Europe. Public opinion of the time and subsequent history have laid the blame for the murder at the feet of Becket's former close personal friend, King Henry II. Becket was born in 1118, in Normandy the son of an English merchant. His family was well off, his father a former Sheriff of London. Becket benefited from his family's status first by being sent to Paris for his education and from there to England where he joined the household of Theobold, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket's administrative skills, his charm, intelligence and diplomacy propelled him forward. The archbishop sent him to Paris to study law and upon his return to England made him Archdeacon of Canterbury. A Medieval Mass Becket's big break came in 1154, when Theobold introduced him to the newly crowned King, Henry II.

The two hit it off immediately, their similar personal chemistries forming a strong bond between them. Henry named Becket his Chancellor. Archbishop Theobold died in 1161, and Henry immediately saw the opportunity to increase his influence over the Church by naming his loyal advisor to the highest ecclesiastical post in the land. Henry petitioned the Pope who agreed. There was only one slight hindrance. Becket, busy at court, had never been ordained. No problem, Becket was first invested as a priest. The next day he was ordained a Bishop, and that afternoon, June 2, 1162, made Archbishop of Canterbury. If King Henry believed that by having "his man" in the top post of the Church, he could easily impose his will upon this powerful religious institution, he was sadly mistaken. Becket's allegiance shifted from the court to the Church inspiring him to take a stand against his king. In those days, the Church reserved the right to try felonious clerics in their own religious courts of justice and not those of the crown. Henry was determined to increase control of his realm by eliminating this custom.

In 1163, a Canon accused of murder was acquitted by a church court. The public outcry demanded justice and the Canon was brought before a court of the king. Becket's protest halted this attempt but the action spurred King Henry to change the laws to extend his courts' jurisdiction over the clergy. Becket vacillated in his support of the king, finally refusing to agree to changes in the law. His stand prompted a royal summons to Henry's court at Northampton and the king's demand to know what Becket had done with the large sums of money that had passed through his hands as Chancellor. "Who will rid meddlesome priest?" Seeing the writing on the wall, Becket fled to France where he remained in exile for six years. The two former friends appeared to resolve their dispute in 1170 when King Henry and Becket met in Normandy. On November 30, Becket crossed the Channel returning to his post at Canterbury. Earlier, while in France, Becket had excomunicated the Bishops of London and Salisbury for their support of the king. Now, Becket remained steadfast in his refusal to absolve the bishops.

This news threw King Henry (still in France) into a rage in which he was purported to shout: "What sluggards, what cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest." The king's exact words have been lost to history but his outrage inspired four knights to sail to England to rid the realm of this annoying prelate. They arrived at Canterbury during the afternoon of December 29 and immediately searched for the Archbishop. Becket fled to the Cathedral where a service was in progress. The knights found him at the altar, drew their swords and began hacking at their victim finally splitting his skull. The death of Becket unnerved the king. The knights who did the deed to curry the king's favor, fell into disgrace. Several miracles were said to occur at the tomb of the martyr and he was soon canonized. Hordes of pilgrims transformed Canterbury Cathedral into a shrine. Four years later, in an act of penance, the king donned a sack-cloth walking barefoot through the streets of Canterbury while eighty monks flogged him with branches. Henry capped his atonement by spending the night in the martyr's crypt. St.

Thomas continued as a popular cultist figure for the remainder of the Middle Ages. ADVERTISMENT Observations of a Monk Edward Grim, a monk, observed the attack from the safety of a hiding place near the altar. He wrote his account some time after the event. Acceptance of his description must be qualified by the influence that Becket's sainthood had on Grim's perspective. However, the fundamentals of his narrative are no doubt true. We pick up the story after the knights have stormed into the cathedral. "The murderers followed him; 'Absolve', they cried, 'and restore to communion those whom you have excommunicated, and restore their powers to those whom you have suspended.' "He answered, 'There has been no satisfaction, and I will not absolve them.' 'Then you shall die,' they cried, 'and receive what you deserve.' 'I am ready,' he replied, 'to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.

But in the name of Almighty God, I forbid you to hurt my people whether clerk or lay.' "Then they lay sacrilegious hands on him, pulling and dragging him that they may kill him outside the church, or carry him away a prisoner, as they afterwards confessed. But when he could not be forced away from the pillar, one of them pressed on him and clung to him more closely. Him he pushed off calling him 'pander', and saying, 'Touch me not, Reginald; you owe me fealty and subjection; you and your accomplices act like madmen.' "The knight, fired with a terrible rage at this severe repulse, waved his sword over the sacred head. 'No faith', he cried, 'nor subjection do I owe you against my fealty to my lord the King.' The murder of from a contemporary manuscript "Then the unconquered martyr seeing the hour at hand which should put an end to this miserable life and give him straightway the crown of immortality promised by the Lord, inclined his neck as one who prays and joining his hands he lifted them up, and commended his cause and that of the Church to God, to St.

Mary, and to the blessed martry Denys. Scarce had he said the words than the wicked knight, fearing lest he should be rescued by the people and escape alive, leapt upon him suddenly and wounded this lamb who was sacrificed to God on the head, cutting off the top of the crown which the sacred unction of the chrism had dedicated to God; and by the same blow he wounded the arm of him who tells this. For he, when the others, both monks and clerks, fled, stuck close to the sainted Archbishop and held him in his arms till the one he interposed was almost severed. "Then he received a second blow on the head but still stood firm. At the third blow he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living victim, and saying in a low voice, 'For the Name of Jesus and the protection of the Church I am ready to embrace death.' "Then the third knight inflicted a terrible wound as he lay, by which the sword was broken against the pavement, and the crown which was large was separated from the head. The fourth knight prevented any from interfering so that the others might freely perpetrate the murder.

"Let us away He will rise no more." "As to the fifth, no knight but that clerk who had entered with the knights, that a fifth blow might not be wanting to the martyr who was in other things like to Christ, he put his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr, and, horrible to say, scattered his brain and blood over the pavement, calling out to the others, 'Let us away, knights; he will rise no more.' References: Abbot, Edwin A., St. Thomas of Canterbury (1898); Compton, Piers, The Turbulent Priest (1964); Hollister, Warren C., Medieval Europe: a short history (1975) How To Cite This Article: "The Murder of Thomas Becket, 1170" EyeWitness to History, (1997). King Henry II was the father of Richard-the- Lionhearted and of King John of Magna Carta fame. King Henry VIII destroyed the shrine dedicated to Thomas Becket at Canterbury. The Death of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral By Ben Johnson | Comments Murder in the cathedral.

Thomas Becket, a London merchant’s son, was a complex person – in his youth he was a normal ebullient young man, stormy and proud, selfish and arrogant, vain, and anxious to please, but in later life, became one of the most pious and devout Archbishops of the 12th century. Despite differences in their status Thomas’s greatest friend was Henry, who was later to become King Henry II of England. They hunted and played chess together, people said the two men ‘had but one heart and one mind’. When at the age of 21 Henry became king, Becket became his Chancellor. Both furious workers, they laboured tirelessly to bring law and order to Henry’s realm. It was during Henry’s reign those legal terms such as ‘trial by jury’ and ‘assizes’ (sittings) became so familiar in the English language. The king’s judges travelled the country administering the common law – the law of all free men. The exception to this was the Church, which had its own courts and own laws. Priests who murdered or raped could avoid common-law justice by claiming ‘benefit of clergy’, the right to be tried in the bishop’s court.

The worst that could happen here was to be issued with a severe penance or exceptionally, expulsion (defrocking) from the priesthood. Much of the power in the country at that time was enjoyed and exploited by the rich bishops and abbots of the Church. And, whilst the Church swore loyalty to the king, they also insisted that their true allegiance was to God and his earthly representative, the Pope in Rome. On the death of his Archbishop of Canterbury in May 1161, Henry saw his chance of bringing the Church to heel, by promoting his best friend Thomas to the newly vacated post. With the donning of his archbishop’s robes however, Becket’s whole demeanour seems to have changed, as he appeared to have experienced a religious conversion. ‘Born again’ Thomas changed completely – from then on he wore a sackcloth shirt which reached to his knees, and swarmed with all forms of wildlife. He had a very sparse diet, and his accustomed drink was water. King Henry and Becket remained good friends until they clashed over clerical privilege. Henry stated that the church was subject to the law of the land, but Becket insisted that the Church was above the law.

Their confrontation came to a head at Northampton Castle in October 1164, when supporters of Henry questioned Thomas’s loyalty to his king by accusing him of being a ‘Traitor’. Some harsh words were exchanged …‘Whoremonger!’, ‘Bastard!’, and other such choice expressions, before Thomas made a strategic withdrawal …to France! Thomas spent some six years in exile before things calmed down sufficient for him to return to Canterbury. Preaching from the cathedral on Christmas Day 1170, Thomas again displayed his stormy temperament when he excommunicated some of his fellow bishops with the words …’May they all be damned by Jesus Christ!’ Henry became incensed when he heard of this outburst and is said to have uttered the fateful words “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!” Four of Henry’s knights, probably not the brightest of men, took this as a summons to action, and left for Canterbury immediately. They reached Canterbury Cathedral on December 29th, where they found Becket before the High Altar, as he had gone there to hear Vespers. One of the knights approached him, and struck Becket on the shoulder with the flat of his sword.

It seems that the knights did not at first intend to kill Becket, but as he stood firm after the first blow, the four attacked and butchered him. It is recorded that they cracked open his skull spilling his brains onto the cathedral floor! Henry was horrified when he heard the news as he believed that it was his words that had been the cause of Becket’s death. As an act of penitence he donned sackcloth and ashes, and starved himself for three days. Becket was immediately hailed as a martyr and canonised in 1173, and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became famous throughout Christendom. Unfortunately this shrine was totally destroyed at the Reformation in 1538, but his tomb can be seen in St. Thomas’s in Trinity Chapel behind the high altar. Tweet If you enjoyed this article, you might also like... The Hereford Mappa Mundi - Great world maps were an English speciality in the Middle Ages and were drawn on cloth, walls or animal skin. Only the Hereford World Map – Mappa Mundi – has survived complete and is believed to be the world’s largest medieval map.

Archbishops of Canterbury - One of the 'top jobs' in England, but not always very safe ... Canterbury - One of the most beautiful and historic cities in England ... William Marshal, a Knight's Tale - The remarkable story of how the fourth son of a minor 12th century baron rose to be one of the richest men of his day and Regent of England is a true Knight's Tale! Advertising BBC - History - Thomas Becket z Thomas Becket © Becket was a 12th century chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury whose murder resulted in his canonisation. Thomas Becket was born in around 1120, the son of a prosperous London merchant. He was well educated and quickly became an agent to Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent him on several missions to Rome. Becket's talents were noticed by Henry II, who made him his chancellor and the two became close friends. When Theobald died in 1161, Henry made Becket archbishop. Becket transformed himself from a pleasure-loving courtier into a serious, simply-dressed cleric.

The king and his archbishop's friendship was put under strain when it became clear that Becket would now stand up for the church in its disagreements with the king. In 1164, realising the extent of Henry's displeasure, Becket fled into exile in France, and remained in exile for several years. He returned in 1170. On the 29 December 1170, four knights, believing the king wanted Becket out of the way, confronted and murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Becket was made a saint in 1173 and his shrine in Canterbury Cathedral became an important focus for pilgrimage. Thomas Becket - History Learning Site Thomas Becket Citation: C N Trueman "Thomas Becket" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 5 Mar 2015. 20 Oct 2016. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed in December 1170. Becket’s death remains one of the most famous stories associated with Medieval England. In Medieval England the Church was all powerful.

The fear of going to Hell was very real and people were told that only the Catholic Church could save your soul so that you could go to Heaven. The head of the Catholic Church was the pope based in Rome. The most important position in the church in Medieval England was the Archbishop of Canterbury and both he and the king usually worked together. A king of England could not remove a pope from his position but popes claimed that they could remove a king by excommunicating him – this meant that the king’s soul was condemned to Hell and people then had the right to disobey the king. For people in England , there was always the real problem – do you obey the king or the pope ? In fact, this was rarely a problem as both kings and popes tended to act together as both wanted to remain powerful. On two occasions they fell out – one involved the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and the other Henry VIII. In 1162, Henry II, king of England, appointed Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury. This was the most important religious position in England. No-one was surprised by Henry’s choice as both he and Thomas were very good friends. They enjoyed hunting, playing jokes and socialising together.

Becket was known to be a lover of wine and a good horse rider. Henry II loved to ride as well but his personality was troubled by his fearsome temper. He tried to keep his temper under control by working very hard as it distracted him from things that might sparked off his temper. Henry II also controlled a lot of France at this time. William the Conqueror had been his great-grandfather and he had inherited his French territories as a result of this. When Henry was in France sorting out problems there, he left Becket in charge of England – such was his trust in him. Becket became Henry’s chancellor – the most important position in England after the king. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1162, Henry saw the chance to give his close friend even more power by appointing him Archbishop of Canterbury – the most important church position in England. Why would Henry do this ? In Henry’s reign, the Church had its own courts and any member of the Church could decide to be tried in a Church court rather than a royal court. Church courts usually gave out easier punishments to churchmen who had done wrong. Henry believed that this undermined his authority.

As king, he was concerned that England was becoming too lawless – there was too much crime. He believed that Church courts did not set a good example as they were too soft on offenders. For example, a royal court would blind or cut off the hand of a thief; a Church court might send a thief on a pilgrimage. Henry hoped that by appointing his good friend Becket, he might have more of a say in how the Church punished offenders. He hoped that Becket would do as he wished and toughen up the sentences passed out by Church courts. Becket did not want the job. As chancellor, he was as powerful as he wished to be. He also had an excellent relationship with Henry, and he did not want to spoil this. In fact, on being offered the post, Becket wrote to Henry that “our friendship will turn to hate.” However, Henry persuaded Becket and he agreed in 1162 to the appointment. His letter was indeed to become prophetic. The post of Archbishop changed Becket.

He dropped his luxurious lifestyle; he ate bread and drank water, he had a luxury bed but preferred to sleep on the floor; he wore the rich clothes of an archbishop, but underneath the fine tunics he wore a horse hair shirt – very itchy and unpleasant to wear. He gave his expensive food to the poor. In 1164, the first sign of a split between Henry and Thomas occurred. Henry passed a law which stated that any person found guilty in a Church court would be punished by a royal court. Becket refused to agree to this, and knowing of Henry’s temper, he fled abroad for his own safety. It took six years before Becket felt safe enough to return to England. However, they quickly fell out again when Becket asked the pope to excommunicate the Archbishop of York who had taken sides with the king. This was a very serious request and a very serious punishment for someone who could claim that he was only being loyal to the king. Henry was furious when he found out what Becket had done. He is said to have shouted out “will no-one rid me of this troublesome priest ?” Four knights heard what Henry had shouted and took it to mean that the king wanted Becket dead.

They rode to Canterbury to carry out the deed. The knights were Reginald FitzUrse, William de Tracey, Hugh de Morville and Richard le Breton. On December 29th 1170 they killed Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. After killing him, one of the knights said “Let us away. He will rise no more.” Becket’s body was still on the cathedral floor when people from Canterbury came in and tore off pieces of his clothes and then dipped these pieces in his blood. They believed that they would bring them luck and keep evil away. The burial of Becket Where Becket died quickly became a place of pilgrimage. The pope quickly made him a saint. Henry II asked the pope for forgiveness and he walked bare foot to Canterbury to pray at the spot where Becket was killed. Monks whipped him while he prayed. People left valuables at the spot of his death. It became a shrine to him and people claimed that a visit to the shrine left them free of illness and disease. No-one dared to touch the valuables there until Henry VIII shut down the monasteries and churches and took away any valuables he wanted.

It took 21 carts to remove the valuables from Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral:- The murder and martyrdom of Thomas Becket | Stephen Liddell Canterbury Cathedral:- The murder and martyrdom of Thomas Becket Posted on January 5, 2013 by Stephen Liddell Recently on the 29th December, a remembrance service was held in Canterbury Cathedral. The service is held every year as it has been for centuries, in memory of one of most dramatic and tragic figures of early Medieval English history, Thomas Becket. Home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Head of the Anglican Church The death of Thomas Becket. is one of the most dramatic and well-known moments of English history of this period and whereas I have previously written about The Magna Carta which occurred a few decades later, this is definitely a highlight, in name only. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury did at one time have very good relations with King Henry II of England and indeed even cared for his son for a time. However Henry II was a very ambitious and ruthless ruler.

He wanted to increased the size of his kingdom by conquering much of Ireland and with his conquest of most of France did have a considerable empire by the standards of the day. Most importantly, King Henry II wanted to increase his own personal power within England and these powers would make him what we would today called a Despot, tyrannical even by the standard of Europe of the time. In order to get these powers it was necessary that he obtain the consent of amongst others, his clerics to loosen the ties between Rome and the English church. It took a great deal of effort. Henry II was a very unpopular King at the best of times but eventually after much effort and no doubt physical persuasion, only the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett declined to sign the Constitutions of Claredon which would have given Henry II all that he desired. On the 8th October 1164, Thomas was summoned to a grand council at Northampton Castle and when it was made clear that he faced persecution, he fled to continental Europe where he was for a time granted the protection of King Louis VII of France.

Henry II started persecuting the supporters of his Archbishop and Thomas started rapidly ex-Communicating his opponents in England and but for the intervention of The Pope was going to ex-communicate the entire Kingdom. It must be remembered that in these times anyone who was ex-communicated was thrown out of the Church and thought to be condemned to eternal hell and damnation upon their death. Eventually a Papal commission arbitrated on the matter and King Henry allowed his Archbishop to return to Canterbury in England. However months later, Thomas learned that new coronation was to be made wherein the young king (to be) would be coronated by the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Salisbury. This was a clear breach of Canterburys unique privilege to crown monarchs. As such Thomas ex-communicate the three senior churchmen who immediately complained to the King. Some have argued that King Henry never ordered the assassination of his Archbishop, Thomas Becket. Most popularly he is attributed to have asked “Will no-one rid me of this turbulent Priest“? Yet be that as it may, it was here when whatever words were uttered compelled 4 loyal knights to head to Canterbury.

The 4 Knights; Reginald fitzUrse , Hugh de Morville , William de Tracy , and Richard le Breton , arrived in Canterbury on December 29th 1170 and are said by monks to have left their weapons and armour under a tree. They ordered Thomas Becket to go with them to the city of Winchester to testify to the King, something that most likely would have led to the execution of the Archbishop. With the refusal of Thomas to travel with them, the Knights headed out to retrieve their weaponry and armour. The Cathedral was thrown into panic, the monks pleaded with their Archbishop to board up the doors and make a barricade but Thomas stated that he would not turn the House of God into in a fortress and besides which he was preparing for a service. The Knights strode in with their swords drawn when the monks were already chanting. The most famous of though one of several Archbishops murdered and executed. The best and most vivid account of the deeds are better than I could hope to write and so here they are from Edward Grim, a witness of the attack and someone who was himself wounded by the knights.

The wicked knight leapt suddenly upon him, cutting off the top of the crown which the unction of sacred chrism had dedicated to God. Next he received a second blow on the head, but still he stood firm and immovable. At the third blow he fell on his knees and elbows, offering himself a living sacrifice, and saying in a low voice, ‘For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.’ But the third knight inflicted a terrible wound as he lay prostrate. By this stroke, the crown of his head was separated from the head in such a way that the blood white with the brain, and the brain no less red from the blood, dyed the floor of the cathedral. The same clerk who had entered with the knights placed his foot on the neck of the holy priest and precious martyr, and, horrible to relate, scattered the brains and blood about the pavements, crying to the others, ‘Let us away, knights; this fellow will arise no more. The 4 Knights immediately went into hiding for a year in remote parts of northern England and Scotland. They were never punished for their crime.

One of around 90 reliquary’s of Saint Thomas of Canterbury Just years after his murder, people were travelling on pilgrimages across Europe to visit the spot of his death and pay tribute at his shrine. Soon miracles were reported by those sick and invalid who travelled and prayed at Canterbury and so his fame rose. A huge number of objects closely associated with Thomas were spread around the kingdom and Europe, bits of clothing, strands of hair, teeth and bone. As such he is venerated as a Saint and a martyr by both Catholic and Anglican churches. King Henry II immediately regretted his actions or at least appeared to in order to curry favour. It is hard to imagine how shocking it must have been to people for an Archbishop to have been murdered in his own cathedral whilst preparing for a service especially in a country where Churches even to this day are considered sanctuaries much in the way as foreign embassies are. William of Newburgh said of the king that “in his own time he was hated by almost everyone“; he was widely criticised by his own contemporaries, even within his own court. To avoid Ex-Communication by The Pope, King Henry II was committed to go on Holy Crusade, something which he never did.

Thomas Beckett was a particularly pious man and was said to have even worn an uncomfortable hair-shirt designed to irritate the skin under his clothes to remind him to be penitent to God in everything he did. The king performed a public act of penance on 12 July 1174 at Canterbury, when he publicly confessed his sins, and then allowed each bishop present, to give him five blows from a rod, then each of the 80 monks of Canterbury Cathedral gave the king three blows. The king then offered gifts to Becket’s shrine and spent a vigil at Becket’s tomb. However he was forever haunted by his terrible actions until the day he died a lonely and rather painful death in France where he remains buried and forgotten in isolation compared most other English and British monarchs. If anything these events were a pre-cursor of Henry II’s more infamous descendant, King Henry VIII who was even more determined that he be the sole authority in his realm, even above that of Papalcy in Rome. The fact that Henry VIII dismantled the shrine of Thomas Becket centuries later says everything that needs to be said.

Many are of the opinion that the King had the bones of Becket burned in the Tower of London at the same time he stole 26 wagon loads of treasure from his cathedral but it is hard to imagine that the pious monks of Canterbury would not have found a way to swap his bones and secretly bury them elsewhere, the location of which has been lost in time. Even now, Canterbury is legally and possibly architecturally speaking, the grandest Cathedral in Britain. Hidden away as it is in the extreme South-eastern corner of England but so close to Europe it bears testimony to the religious, historic and cultural importance of the ties between Canterbury and the wider Christian world. A single candle marks the spot of the shrine of Thomas Becket Pilgrims still visit Canterbury to the spot of martyrdom and the site of the former Shrine of Thomas Becket, now marked by a simple candle of remembrance. Pilgrims are out numbered by sight-seers and tourists but whatever their religious persuasions perhaps everyone can agree on the bravery and whole-hearted commitment to his beliefs that Thomas showed. He knew he was likely to die anyway and so he sort to make a stand that would shock the world and draw attention to his cause.

Whether God exists in the world at large, in the Cathedral or just in the hearts of visitors, the simple acts of Thomas Becket have lived on long after the heinous King has largely been forgotten. Canterbury Cathedral is a magnificent building in a very pretty small city 100 odd miles East-Southeast of London and makes for a wonderful day out on its own or with a trip to nearby Dover Castle. If you enjoyed this post you might like my book 101 Most Horrible Tortures in History which has a tongue in cheek take on punishments and tortures and available in paperback as well as through Amazon, iBooks/iTunes and Kobo worldwide. Share this: Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email.

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 Becket Henry II and Thomas a Becket BY DAVID ROSS , EDITOR Henry II (1154-89) was the son of Queen Maud and Geoffrey of Anjou.

He took as his emblem the "sprig of broom" of the House of Anjou, which in the French of the day became "plant a genet", or Plantagenet. Henry was a good administrator, but he had a terrible temper, which would get him into trouble. He razed unlicensed castles that had sprung up during the anarchy of the civil war, and reclaimed many of the rights and powers of the crown that had laxed. Becket Henry's carousing chum and chief administrator was a cleric by the name of Thomas a Becket. When the See of Canterbury fell empty in 1162 Henry convinced a very reluctant Becket to become the new Archbishop. Henry II and Thomas a Becket Henry, of course, assumed that his friend would be sympathetic to the royal cause in the escalating battle between church and state. He wasn't. Thomas underwent a change of character as Archbishop. He was ostentatiously severe and strict in his observance of church law. He wore a penitential hair shirt under his vestments, and had his underlings flog him frequently. More importantly, he opposed Henry over the question of the supremacy of ecclesiastical courts.

(See The Constitutions of Clarendon ) Criminous Clerks At that time anyone in orders could only be tried in church courts. In practice, the number of clerics was huge, including several levels of lay priests and clerks. Henry, anxious to assert the power of royal justice, claimed that the "criminous clerks" should be tried in royal courts. To his surprise, Becket refused to agree. Becket's Death The Archbishop fled to France after defying Henry. They eventually were reconciled with the aid of the pope, and Becket returned. He immediately infuriated Henry by excommunicating those bishops who had prudently supported the king during Becket's exile. Henry flew into one of his famous rages. Four knights, perhaps seeking to curry favour with the king, rode from Westminster to Canterbury and killed Becket in front of the main altar of the Cathedral when he refused to relent. Henry's Penance Henry, full of remorse, did penance imposed by the pope. He walked to Canterbury Cathedral in sack cloth and ashes and allowed himself to be flogged by the monks there. He also gave way for the moment on the question of court authority.

Site of Becket's tomb, Canterbury Cathedral Consequences of Becket's Death Becket's martyrdom did Canterbury Cathedral no harm at all. In a very short time miraculous cures began to be reported at his tomb. The old Cathedral burned down in 1174, and it was the growing popularity of Becket's shrine as a place of pilgrimage that paid for the rebuilding. Much of the magnificent Cathedral that we see today was built on the proceeds of gifts and the sale of "official souvenirs" at the shrine during the next few hundred years. Canterbury became one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in western Christendom. Legal Reforms Henry introduced several major reforms. Prior to 1166 trial by ordeal was a common way of determining guilt or innocence in criminal cases. Under this system, an accused person might have to pick up a red hot bar of iron, or pluck a stone out of a boiling cauldron. If their hand had begun to heal after three days they were considered to have God on their side, affirming their innocence. One has to wonder how many "not guilty" verdicts were rendered by this system! Henry replaced this rather painful system with a jury of 12 men.

He also introduced the first personal property tax. At the same time he forced Wales to at least nominally acknowledge the sovereignty of the English crown. The Devil's Brood Henry was not so lucky in his family life. He was married to the forceful Eleanor of Aquitaine, and in their squabbling she turned his sons Richard, John, and Geoffrey against him. The "Devil's Brood" intrigued, fought,and rebelled against their father. In the end, the crown went to Richard while John "Lackland" received nothing. Geoffrey received even less; He died before his father. Related: How is Thomas Becket the tragic hero in Murder in the Cathedral? | eNotes How is Thomas Becket the tragic hero in Murder in the Cathedral? amy-lepore | High School Teacher | (Level 1) Educator Emeritus Posted on July 2, 2011 at 2:10 AM Thomas Becket is the tragic hero in this play for two reasons. One, his friendship with Henry II, who supposedly made the comment, "Will anyone rid me of this priest?!" in the midst of his guards who took him literally.

They are the ones who went to the Canterbury Cathedral and killed Becket inside. The second reason Thomas Becket is the tragic hero in this play is the fact that he is the highest ranking church official in England, and he took his duties to the church seriously. He stood up to Henry regarding noblemen who were breaking the law of the church, and he fearlessly stood by his friends and fellow churchmen, but where Henry was concerned, Thomas did not stand up for himself. He was clever , generous, and righteous which made him popular with the common people. However, Becket believed that God's will would be done with regard to his own fate. August 24, 2011 at 1:39 AM Remember, the word tragedy originated from the Greek word 'tragos' which means a 'goat'. do you wonder now how? Actually, in the actual greek practice, human was made an object of sacrifice either to appease the repective god/goddess or to seek his/her benevolence. in the later time, with the progress of civilization, the greeks realized the horror and heinous crime involved with this ritual. then the human was replaced by a goat.

in this ritual, the object of sacrifice was kept at the centre while the ritual-killers surrounded it along periphery. their spears were pointed toward the centre where the object of sacrifice was already tied or affixed to the 'stake'. they would sing a ritual song and gradually as the song nears to close, they constrict the periphery and move toward the centre. thus, with the end of the song, the spears get pierced. the object, be it human or a goat, is sacrificed. As the goat had no crime, yet it is made an object of sacrifice, hence the origin of the word 'scapegoat'. and, hence too, is the reason of the origin of the word tragedy from 'tragos'. remember about Macbeth in Shakespeare's play. when Macbeth has no way out to flee or to survive, when all his enemies have surrounded him from all sides, he utters the pang-relieving words: "I'm tied to the stake, I cannot fly, But bear like I must fight the course." this imagery evokes in our mind the ancient greek practice as mentioned above. Now, consider the case the Becket in Murder in the Cathedral.

In Act II, in the murder episode in particular, he is surrounded by four murderers. he has no way out to escape. Eliot very adroitly sketches this imagery by alluding to the ancient greek practice of ritual killing. from this angle, obviously, Becket is a tragic hero, a classical tragic hero. but there are also other points one may elaborate in details that correspond to the question whether Becket is a tragic hero. Let's have a look: First, Becket is pre-ordained by God to be a Martyr. in this respect, he is 'a chosen seed of God'. To God, of course, he is an object of Martyr. but, as per God's design, Becket must not be aware of this. Neither Becket should want it. because christian martyrdom is only the design of God. but in his encounter with the Fourth Tempter, the reality of his heart's intention was revealed. he had thought of being a martyr perhaps in the remotest corner of his mind. once the fourth tempter is gone, becket realises his sin. if this is his hamartia then he must undergo the way of salvation that might bring him a redemption. and so does he.

his redemption comes through his realization of his own remark that he made in Act II: "Action is suffering and suffering action..." Secondly, Becket had to die almost for no crime on his part. being loyal to the church or truthful to the religion can never be a crime. yet becket suffers in the hand of the murderers. Thirdly, we should raise a debate with supporting arguments from various critics, whether, Becket is really a tragic hero or a religion's martyr or both? Literally, becket is a tragic hero. but eliot also projects him as a martyr. And as is the case, a religious martyr is always a sufferer, so becket must be a tragic hero too. symbolically, becket is a christ-figure, a saviour of mankind. as christ was murdered first, made a tragic hero and then a prophet, so in case of becket, he was murdered first, made a tragic hero, and then a saint. like 0 dislike 0

Question: Thomas à Beckett was killed in which English Cathedral?
Answer: Canterbury Cathedral